Top 10 Interview Tips: 10 Steps to getting the job you want

TheChristian
1. First impressions DO mean something.

Wear something completely neutral and express yourself with one minute detail in your attire to express your personal style (i.e. one of the following - tie, purse, shoes, etc). Always dress to impress as you never know who you may end up meeting. Is this one interview or if they are impressed with you will they then introduce you to your future boss, other colleagues or even the CEO? You do not want to be caught off guard.
"Make nice with the Administrative Assistant. This IS someone you need to impress."

2. Make nice with the Administrative Assistant(s).

This IS someone you need to impress. Formal greeting, followed by an introduction, followed by your appointment time and concluded with the first and last name of who you are there to meet. Go back to the basics and do not forget your pleases’ and thank you’s as (s)he assists you.


If (s)he is busy, you follow their instructions and leave it at that, if not then, feel free to make light small talk. You can comment on how easy it was to find the location, you may even want to ask about alternative ways out. You can do this on the way out if you didn’t get the opportunity to do it on the way in and thank them again for their assistance.

3. Have a good handshake.

By good I mean, a firm grasp, do not tilt or slant the recipient’s hand, no more than two up and down movements and conclude with a decisive and planned release. NO SWEATY palms.

4. Do not ask questions within the first one to three minutes.

Let your interviewer take the lead and set the tone for the interview. Employers look for people who know when to lead, when to follow and most importantly the appropriate time for both. Use this time to listen. Determine if your interviewer has a formal or informal technique. You can even use this time to quickly survey the office for anything that you may have in common with your interviewer and that you can include in the interview at the appropriate time., however, do not visible move your head to scan the room as this could make you seem distracted.

5. Only tell a little bit about your personal life.

If you are asked to tell the interviewer a little bit about yourself, you should do exactly that…tell only a little bit. Do not use this opportunity to tell your entire life story. Your interviewer should not know your marital status, how many children you have or any personal information that is not business related and could potentially sway their decision on hiring you.

Start off with general business related information and then interject ONE thing that is unique or personal about you that indirectly relates to your position. For example, if you are going for a position that requires traveling, feel free to bring up some general statements about your own personal travels. This could demonstrate how much you enjoy traveling and would make you a good fit for the position.

6. Ask questions throughout the interview.

After the first three minutes, remember that you are interviewing this company at the same time that they are interviewing you. Therefore, with that in mind it should be an even exchange. Your questions should be relevant and stem from information the interviewer is providing as he/she provides it. This is not the time to bring up your own questions that are unrelated to what the interviewer wants to discuss. Be careful to not cut off your interviewer in the middle of their sentence but at a time that is appropriate.

7. Do not wait until the end of the interview to ask your first question.

You want to be a candidate that shows your eagerness to understand what the interviewer is saying at the time it is said and show that you will act on your inquiries as they arise. This demonstrates your responsiveness which in any job is critical. This shows that with whatever may arise in your position, will you handle situations in a timely manner or wait to contemplate approach.
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I can say from experience that more times than not, when something you do not understand arises your employer would rather you ask the question instantaneously than learn by trial and error or wait a long time to contemplate approach. You can not contemplate approach on something if you do not even understand the issue.

8. Never ask about promotional opportunities.

This probably goes against everything that you have heard about what to do on an interview. Everyone who is anyone in the corporate world knows that corporations (i.e. the people that matter) do whatever they want for whoever they want. If you make yourself the “whoever” in that statement then the promotional opportunities will come. Don’t waste time with pointless questions of which you already know the interviewer’s response. No employer will come out and tell you that there are no advancement opportunities. Use this time to ask questions that matter and not conversation fillers.

9. Ask for a time frame on when a decision will be made to fill the position.

No one wants someone who doesn’t care when someone else is going to make a decision about their own life. Ask this as your last question of the interview before you exit, if your interviewer has not already provided this information. This question also serves a second purpose in providing you with a timeframe of when you should follow-up if they should happen to exceed the timeframe you were given.

10. Always send a thank you note.

This can be done via email or letter. Preference towards email, as it is still professional, saves time and allows you to get the message to your interviewer in time possibly before they make a final decision that could provide them with a reminder of your interview and bring you to the fore front. Do not forget to include sending one to the Administrative Assistant that assisted you. If you are unaware of how to contact them then be sure to request your interviewer convey your thank you to him/her.
Top 10 Interview Tips: 10 Steps to getting the job you want
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